A New Leash On Love (Furever Yours Book 1)

by Melissa Senate

  * * *

  After rushing downstairs from Matt’s last night, Claire had kept busy by grading quizzes and baking and cleaning some more. At least her house was spotless. She’d spent the night tossing and turning in her bed, vacillating between giving up on Matt as the lost cause he said he was and being on Team Bunny and working on the flip. Which apparently she was no good at.

  There was a rap at the sliding glass door. Matt stood there with Sparkles’s and Hank’s leashes dangling from his neck.

  “Hi,” she said, barely able to look at him.

  “Hi. I just realized I forgot to bring down poop bags. Got two extras?”

  Sigh. He could have run up and gotten some from his apartment. She supposed it meant he was trying, that he wasn’t avoiding her.

  “Come in out of the cold,” she said. “I have some in the kitchen.”

  Just as she rounded the kitchen, her phone dinged with a text. It was from Birdie.

  GREAT application just came in for Dempsey! Forwarding to you.

  Goose bumps broke out along Claire’s spine and arms. And not in a good way, she realized.

  She went to her laptop on the kitchen island and opened Birdie’s email and the application. Her heart sunk with every line. A single, middle-aged writer, who worked at home, didn’t have a fenced yard but lived near wooded trails and would walk Dempsey at least three times a day, who “lost my furbaby last year to cancer and am finally ready to love another dog.” She fell in love with Dempsey at the adoption event last week but had wanted to sit with her feelings, and yes, she’d love to have “beautiful, majestic, lovely” Dempsey.

  Claire burst into tears, her hands darting up to her face. Her shoulders shook and her knees started to buckle.

  “Claire?” Matt said, rushing over to her. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  “I just love Dempsey so much. But this applicant...she sounds so perfect and just right for Dempsey. I know this woman will appreciate her as much as I do. I can feel it just by having read the application.” Fresh sobs racked her entire body.

  Matt pulled her into his arms. “Oh, honey. It’s hard to let go. I know.”

  He didn’t know. He didn’t.

  “I don’t want to give her up. I love that dog, dammit.”

  “I know you do. Could you keep her?”

  She felt herself go limp against Matt, grateful he was holding her. But then she remembered where she was, who was keeping her upright, and she sucked in a breath and stepped back, swiping at her eyes. “I go through this with every dog. I love them so hard, and it’s my job to prepare them for their furever home. It’s what a foster parent signs up for. I know there are ‘foster fails’ out there, those who do keep their dogs, but I feel like that would be wrong. I’m meant to take in dogs who can’t find homes and work with them until they’re so ready, they’re irresistible. And now Dempsey is.”

  “She is pretty irresistible,” he said, going over to Dempsey and petting her.

  “You knocked for dog bags and got a crying Claire. Sorry you asked, huh?” She walked back to the kitchen, pulled two poop bags from the doggie-drawer and handed them to him.

  “Never,” he said, stuffing the bags in his pocket. “I’m here for you. You can always talk to me.”

  “Till the end of March, anyway.”

  He winced slightly. “I guess the key is not to love the dogs when you have to give them away. I mean, you know you’re not keeping them. It’s not a permanent arrangement. So why get attached?”

  She gaped at him. “How could I not?” Was he seriously asking this?

  “You just don’t. You know what you’re walking into, and you create boundaries. That easy.”

  “Oh, really?” she said. “Well, it’s not that easy for most people. Just you. I don’t know one foster parent who hasn’t gotten choked up about bringing their dogs and cats to their forever homes. Not one. And you know what, Matt Fielding? I don’t think you’ll find it so easy to let Sparkle go.”

  “Trust me, I will.”

  “Having Hank won’t protect you from having to say goodbye to that adorable fluffy little dog that you trained for weeks.”

  “Boundaries. It’s all about boundaries.”

  “I guess you’d know!” she shouted and ran into her bedroom and closed the door.

  She closed her eyes and shook her head, wondering what had happened to good ole levelheaded, even-keeled Claire Asher.

  The hot dude in the living room happened.

  Dempsey’s application happened.

  Boundaries were for toxic people in your life. Not for the good ones. Not for the furbabies, who saved you as much as you saved them. Even if you were just their temporary foster parent.

  She heard the sliding glass door open and close, and she breathed a sigh of relief that he was gone. She ran back out into the hallway, and there was her beloved Dempsey, staring forlornly at Matt’s back as he went to get Sparkle and Hank from the yard.

  “Oh, Dempsey,” she said, lowering to the floor on her knees and giving the sweet boxer mix a hug. “Your new mama sounds wonderful. She even has trails behind her house that you can explore.”

  Dempsey licked her face. Good thing too, because the tears came crashing down.

  “I love you, Demps,” she said, placing her forehead on the dog’s warm neck, her body shuddering with fresh sobs. “I’m going to cry my eyes out and recommend the application back to Birdie. Then when it’s time to bring you to your new home, I’ll cry some more and foster a new pooch, and the cycle will start all over again. Because that’s what it’s all about.

  “I might be heartbroken to lose you, but at least I feel something.”

  Chapter Ten

  “Where should I put this, Birdie?” Matt asked, picking up the huge fifty-pound bag of dog food that someone had donated to the shelter.

  After what had just happened with Claire, he’d needed to get out of the house and, at the same time, feel connected to her, to what she was going through. He hadn’t wanted to think too deeply about why. So he’d grabbed his phone and called the shelter, and Birdie happened to answer. He’d asked if she could use an extra pair of hands at Furever Paws right now, and she’d said always, so he’d driven over.

  “We have a storage closet in the back hallway,” Birdie said. “I’ll show you. How’s our Hank doing?”

  Matt smiled. “He’s doing great. He keeps that little spitfire Sparkle in line, that’s for sure.”

  Bunny came out of the cat adoption room and smiled at Matt. “I miss his sweet face. But I sure am glad he’s with you now.”

  He pictured Sparkle and Hank, who were probably curled up in the huge memory foam dog bed, Sparkle in her preferred napping position, with her head tucked between her front paws. Would he have trouble giving Sparkle up? He had a feeling he would if didn’t have Hank. And if he didn’t have Hank, he’d have to go get himself a Hank. So why didn’t Claire have a dog of her own? Suddenly, it struck him as strange. He’d have to ask her the next time he saw her—if she was speaking to him.

  “Oh, Bunny,” Birdie said, turning to her sister as she stopped in front of the storage closet. “I meant to tell you—Gator texted earlier.”

  Birdie, Bunny and Gator. Their other brother, Moose, had passed away years ago. Since he’d started volunteering at Furever Paws, Matt had heard the Whitaker sisters talk about their family quite a bit. Birdie held Gator in high regard, and as the no-nonsense woman didn’t suffer fools, he figured Gator had to be something special.

  He’d learned, from overhearing many conversations between the sisters, that the Whitaker siblings had inherited the Whitaker Acres land from their parents, who’d lived in Spring Forest for generations. Gator and Moose had sold their shares long ago, but the sisters had hung on to forty acres, smartly selling small sections of their property and living off their investments.r />
  Bunny smiled. “Oh, how nice. And what did our brother have to say for himself?”

  Birdie bit her lip, something Matt didn’t think he’d ever seen her do. Bernadette “Birdie” Whitaker could wrestle a crocodile, so when she seemed off balance, Matt noticed. “Well, he thinks we should sell off a parcel of the property, namely the large acreage we use as an outside dog run and training area.”

  Bunny frowned. “Really? Well, I don’t know about that, Birdie. That would leave the shelter with little room for outdoor areas—especially if we expand in years to come.”

  “I know,” Birdie said with a bit of a shrug. “But that was his recommendation.”

  As always, Matt tried not to eavesdrop but since the Whitaker sisters were talking right in front of him, he couldn’t help but listen.

  “Gator’s never let us down with his investment recommendations,” Birdie added, “but I’ll talk to him about selling a parcel on the far side of the shelter instead.”

  “I thought the two of you owned the land outright,” Matt said, looking from Birdie to Bunny. “Why would it be Gator’s decision? If you don’t mind my asking.”

  During one of their talks about Furever Paws, Claire had mentioned that most of the Whitaker land was undeveloped forest with some creek-front areas. But apparently the region was in the midst of a development boom, and the sisters had been getting offers to buy them out for years, especially by the neighboring Kingdom Creek housing development, where Matt now lived in Claire’s house. According to Claire, the sisters had refused all offers; they intended to leave Whitaker Acres as a trust. Now, the Kingdom Creek development wanted to buy land right on top of the shelter. Gator seemed to think that was a good thing.

  “Oh, we like to keep our attention on the furbabies and the running of the rescue, not on the business and financial end,” Birdie explained. “That’s Gator’s specialty, and he’s proven time and again he’s a shrewd financial planner.”

  He nodded and put away the giant bag of dog food in the closet and shut the door. The rescue, surrounding area and the sisters’ farmhouse were all in great condition, so it looked like the way the sisters had chosen to operate Furever Paws was working just fine. Besides, they had been living off their investments for years, so Gator Whitaker had to know what he was doing.

  Matt envied what the sisters had built here. They had such rich, full lives, worked at something they loved and were so passionate about, gave back to the community over and over, and lived on their own terms. He admired the Whitaker sisters. They might not think of themselves as businesswomen, but they most definitely were.

  “Bunny! Birdie!” a woman called out from the direction of the lobby. “Someone just dumped two dogs from a car and sped off!”

  What the hell? Matt glanced at Birdie’s and Bunny’s concerned faces and followed the women as they rushed out to the lobby. Lisa Tish, one of the volunteers at Furever Paws, stood frowning in front of the door.

  The young woman looked to be on the verge of tears. “I was manning the front desk when I saw the car stop up the road. A man got out and practically dragged both dogs from the car, then sped off. I saw the dogs run after the car, and then they ran back to the exact spot he’d left them. They’re just sitting there!”

  Matt’s mouth dropped open. “He dumped them? What the hell?”

  “Unfortunately, it happens all the time,” Bunny said, grabbing two long rope-style leashes from the counter.

  Birdie nodded and let out a deep sigh. “Twice last week.” She took a handful of soft treats from the jar on the desk, put them in her pocket, and they all headed out.

  Matt could see the two medium-sized dogs, one black and tan, the other mostly brown, standing up the road. That area could get busy, and he hoped the dogs would stay put until the sisters could get to them.

  “Hey, pups,” Bunny called in a warm, friendly voice. “Got some treats for you.”

  The two dogs, who looked like hound mixes, stared at Bunny. The mostly-brown one had floppy ears and seemed to have some beagle in him. The black-and-tan dog was possibly a coonhound mix, Matt thought. Two weeks ago he couldn’t have told anyone the difference between a hound and a shepherd, and suddenly he could pick out breeds in a mutt.

  “These treats are yummy peanut butter,” Bunny added, slowly walking a bit farther as the rest of them hung back.

  Matt wondered if the dogs would take off scared the way that little gray dog had, or if they’d come running for the treats.

  They came slowly toward her for the treats. Relief flooded him. He had no idea why he cared so much about two dogs that he’d never seen before two seconds ago, but hell, he did.

  The sisters gave the dogs a once-over. “No collars,” Bunny said, “but they do look to be in decent shape. Maybe old hunting dogs that stopped doing their ‘jobs.’”

  “I’d love to get my hands on that jerk,” Matt said, shaking his head. “They weren’t useful so he just abandoned them?”

  “Like I said, it happens a lot,” Bunny said. “I’m just glad folks know we’re here and at least abandon them on our property.” She turned to Lisa. “I’m glad you saw it happen and called us right away. Otherwise, they might have run off along the road.”

  Lisa nodded. “I’m with Matt. I just can’t believe someone would do this. Dump dogs like that.” She shook her head.

  Birdie slipped a leash over the larger dog’s head. The rope-like leash worked as a collar and lead in one. “Well, that’s what we’re here for, so all’s well that ends well, right, handsome one?” she cooed to the hound. “What a majestic-looking hound you are,” she said, patting his side. “Good dog. You look like a Captain to me.”

  Bunny put the leash over the other dog’s head and secured it. She gave him a pat too. “And I’d say you look like a Major.”

  Matt smiled. “No Corporal?”

  “Doesn’t roll off the tongue as easily,” Birdie said. “But the next cat that comes in will be named Corporal in honor of your service, Matt.”

  He laughed. “I wasn’t fishing.”

  “Well, you’ve done so much for us in such a short time that you deserve it,” Birdie told him.

  He smiled, his chest tightening. How had he made all these connections in Spring Forest? He hadn’t intended to. Was Claire right about him accidentally making a life for himself here?

  “We sure owe Claire for bringing you into our lives,” Bunny added as they started back toward the shelter building.

  Matt frowned.

  “Now, Bunny, Matt came here on his own, remember? He didn’t even know Claire volunteered here when he came to look for a puppy for his niece.”

  Bunny seemed to think about that for a moment. “Oh, yeah.”

  “I guess I just associate you two with each other. Matt and Claire. Claire and Matt.”

  Had the temperature suddenly increased? It was barely fifty degrees today, and Matt felt feverish. There was no Matt and Claire.

  Birdie smiled and patted his hand. “Why don’t you go up ahead and ready two kennels while I call Doc J and let him know we have two new dogs for assessment?”

  “Will do,” he said, taking both leashes and bringing the dogs inside the shelter and down the hallway into the Dogs room.

  “Hey, Tucker,” he said as he passed the chiweenie’s kennel. “Some new friends for you to sniff from afar.”

  Tucker ignored him, as usual, but Matt threw him a treat. The little guy ambled over for it. Someone was going to snap him up soon, Matt had no doubt.

  Lisa opened the kennels for Matt, and he ushered each dog inside. “I wish I could take them both in myself, even as a foster mom,” she said to Matt. “I used to have dogs, two that I adopted from here long ago, but now that I have young children and one is allergic, I have to get my fix by volunteering here when my kids are in preschool.”

  Matt smiled. �
��I get it. Before I started volunteering here, I had no idea just how much I loved dogs. Now, I can’t imagine ever not having one. Or two.”

  She laughed. “Yup.”

  The door opened and Claire came in, saw him and frowned, then turned right back around.

  How had things gotten so bad between them?

  Because of you, idiot. Push, pull. Pull, push. You tell her no, then you’re naked in bed together. And you wonder why she hates your guts.

  Except she didn’t hate him. And he was hurting her.

  He felt like crud. Now he was making Furever Paws awkward and uncomfortable for her by just being here. This was her place, her sanctuary. And he was ruining it for her.

  He loved it here too, and had only another few weeks to help out. Hell, maybe he should move out of her house. He probably should. But he couldn’t go back to Laura’s since Sparkle wasn’t 100 percent ready. So where could he go?

  His phone rang—an unfamiliar number. “Hello?”

  “Matt, this is Jessica Panetta, Ellie’s teacher at Spring Forest Elementary.”

  His heart stopped. “Is everything okay? Is Ellie okay?”

  “Oh, yes! I’m sorry, I should have opened with that, the way the school’s nurse does when she calls parents. Ellie is just fine. I’m calling because after I met you and Sparkle in the park a few weeks ago, I couldn’t stop thinking about how wonderful it would be to have a show-and-tell about puppies and what goes into training them. Kids beg their parents for puppies, but they really don’t know the work that goes into training a puppy and taking care of one. I’ve spoken to the principal, and she agrees it would be a great experience for the kids.”

  “Wait, you want me to come in and give a talk on training puppies?” he asked, completely dumbfounded.

  “Exactly. I envision you bringing in Sparkle and giving a twenty-minute presentation on puppy training and what goes into it. If you like the idea, our principal only requests that you have someone from Furever Paws accompany you as a second pair of eyes and hands.”